Hirschmanns Take Barcelona

I haven't updated my blog in forever!  But here is an update of my amazing  time with my family a few weekends ago.   They first came to London and then we all flew to Spain together.  We were all extremely tired from the start, me from my Paris trip and them from jet lag from the USA.  Nonetheless, we persevered to take Barcelona!

The first day we took it easy and hung around the hotel during the day.   I was in love with the palm trees, beach and weather in the 60s which was very different than the other places I have been visiting.   We all took muchhh needed naps before our late dinner.  We went to a seafood restaurant which was delicious.  The best part about it was when they brought a lobster and fish out for Will and Stephen to see if the size was okay.  They were bigger than their heads!  

The following day we walked along the beach from our hotel towards the city centre.  We went on Las Rambas, which is a beautiful and busy street filled with cafes, gift shops, and a huge Spanish market.  The market had everything you could imagine.  Gigantic fish, loads of fruits and vegetables, and tons of candy.   To my brothers dismay, we hopped on a double decker tourist bus.  My parents and I put on the head phones like true tourists while they listened to their own music.   Barcelona is filled with amazing architecture and stunning buildings.

At night we had another amazing meal, which was technically our Thanksgiving dinner, at a Argentinian steak house.  It was a real treat after not having steak for a while.  After dinner we stopped by an ice-bar near our hotel.  We had to see just how cold it was and what all the hype was about.  It was indeed ice cold even with my own jacket and the puffy one they provided!  We stayed less than 10 minutes before we headed out.

For our final day in Barcelona did some more sight seeing.  We first stopped at the basilica de la Sagrada Familia which is famous for its architecture by Gaudi.  

We hopped on another tour bus and headed up the mountain.  When we reached as far as the bus could go we had to take a cable car to the very top.   It was a breath taking view of the entire city of Barcelona and we could see the Mediterranean as well.   It was a confusing to see a church and an amusement park in the same area, but all of it was impressive.

This trip was much needed after missing my family so much.  It was one of the first times in a while the five of us were on vacation together just us.  What a fun time!

Ireland

View from the bus to Galway

This past weekend I took a whirl wind trip to Ireland!  I traveled with four other girls and we left our flat at 3:30 a.m. to catch our flight...crazy I know.  We arrived in Dublin and then took a bus to Galway, a quaint little town on a beauitful bay.  Walking down the main street I felt like I was in a movie.  Street performers everywhere singing Irish music and cute little shops.

We saw a beautiful cathedral and some other tourist attractions, but the best part about Galway was the view over the bay.   It was so lush and peacful, quite a nice change from London.  Three Irish men were sitting on a bench singing and playing "Sweet Home Alabama" on their guitars, which seems to be a popular song even over here.  There were sailboats in the Bay and swanns and birds everywhere, very picturesque.

After that we went to a Spanish restaurant, Cava, for a late lunch/dinner and it turned out to be one of our favorite parts of the trip.  We started with cappucinos and then I got a delicious salad with chicken and spanish tomato soup.  To finish off the meal we got homemade sangria with fresh strawberries and blackberries.

For our night in Galway we went on a pub crawl that took us to four different Irish pubs.  None of them were too crowded, but we still had a lot of fun.  At one of the pubs everyone played flip cup and beer pong, asking the Americans for tips.

The next morning we woke up early to head to Dublin.  After walking around a little we headed to the Guinness Storehouse.  This seven story factory shows how the beer is made and poured and included sampling.  This is definitely a must see if you go to Dublin, however being gluten free and not being able to drink the beer made it not as exciting.

For our night in Dublin we had to go to the pub Whelan's because it was where part of the movie P.S. I Love You was filmed.   This is one of my favorite rom-coms so I was very excited to see it.  For five euros we saw a two great live bands there and got the true Irish pub experience.

It was a short trip but we fit a lot in.  For the first trip on our own, I think we did pretty well figuring things out.  I was quite resourceful with the maps, which was shocking because I am used to using my phone or gps.  I am so grateful for the experiences I am having and so happy I got to visit this beautiful country where I have family ties!

Stonehenge and Bath Trip

Roman Baths in Bath, England

Yesterday exceeded my expectations by a lot!   I was excited to go to the ancient town of Bath and see the famous stones of Stonehenge, but I did not expect them to be that beautiful.  We first went to Bath, an ancient town built into the English valley.  We took a walking tour and saw their Abbey, Square, the Crescent and of course the ancient Roman Baths.  This area is very old and maintains that feeling but it also has lots of good stores and restaurants.  I wish we could've had longer their but I'm glad I got to spend a few hours in this gorgeous place.

On the way to Stonehenge there was a rainbow that remained there for few hours, even as we took pictures of the stones.  I got some amazing pictures, but they do not  do these beautiful places justice.

Stonehenge

Rainbow while on the bus